Single Review: Maroon 5 – ‘Maps’
2 min read
Multiple Grammy-award winners Maroon 5 have dropped the first single from upcoming album V. Maps follows on from the success of previous album Overexposed which churned out hits such as One More Time and Payphone, and will see the re-introduction of long term keyboardist Jesse Carmichael come back into the frayafter a short hiatus.
With Maps, the band are seeking out their next big hit. Another notch to add to their ever-growing back catalogue of radio friendly tunes. It begins with singer Levine’s signature high-pitched vocals and those jangly guitars serving as a backdrop, in what could be described as reggae-rock.. We are then hit with layers of vocals as the bridge builds intensity which leads us into the catchy chorus. It has a slightly remixy sort of vibe as the chorus continues to play out – the vocals seem pretty distant from the music and it tells, as if one has just been inserted in an attempt to loosely fit with the other. The guitars come into to full swing with Levine crying out the lines “It leads to you” and this is where the song is driven the hardest. It moves along at pace but never keeps you all that interested. The vocal effect at times comes across as almost cartoonish, annoying if you will, but fans of Levine’s style will no doubt enjoy the show.
This new single is what you would come to expect from Maroon 5. This is the sound they have sculpted for themselves over the years, albeit a little bit dancier this time around. It’s catchy and sticks in the memory bank whether you want it to or not. That alone isn’t an easy feat to achieve.
